The Hamill family of Red Shed Malting; from L-R (bottom): John, Daelyn, Joe and Matt, (top): Susie Hamill. (Supplied)

By Josh Hall (Twitter: @Vancan19)

four tonnes weekly

Red Shed Malting earns top honours for its uniqueness

Sep 5, 2020 | 4:00 PM

One of Alberta’s premier contributors to the craft beer industry is celebrating more recognition for the stellar crops they’re offering.

Red Shed Malting was announced this week as the ‘overall’ and ‘unique’ category winner in Avenue Magazine’s second annual Made in Alberta Awards.

The Red Deer County-based Hamill family operation was chosen for the award, which comes with a $5,000 cheque, based on its creativity, craftsmanship and ingenuity.

“We and others in Alberta grow the best barley in the world. We have the best climate for it, and breweries come from all over the world to buy our barley and malt,” says Daelyn Hamill. “It’s good to show people in the cities that there’s more to Alberta than oil and gas. Agriculture is a big part of the economy and it’s always going to be here.”

Red Shed is currently growing barley, as well as wheat, canola, peas and oats on its 2000-acre farm.

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Calgary-based Avenue notes that Red Shed produces up to four tonnes of malt each week using a unique malt plant they designed.

Their process sees barley steeped from about 13.5 to 44 per cent moisture, before it undergoes a germination process, and is finally heated in a kiln for 24 hours. The end product is used by dozens of companies province-wide.

“It’s a big part of our business to be involved in our community, especially connecting the farm and ag to the brewing and distilling community,” Hamill adds. “Beyond that, we are connecting the consumer to local music and food, and it all kind of comes together. We all support one another to promote Alberta.”

Hamill also acknowledges the Lacombe Field Crop Development Centre, and Olds College for its brewmaster-spawning program as just a couple of its great local partners.

For now, Red Shed awaits a month-end ceremony which Avenue is hosting to hand out the awards.

“It means a lot to us as a small family business to be recognized, especially by the Alberta community, and it being judged by an expert panel of Albertans. It’s quite the compliment to be picked,” she adds.

“This award represents our success which is all thanks to the ag community and Alberta craft brewers and distillers such as Blindman Brewing, Siding 14 Brewing, Peace River Brewing and Bridgeland Distillery, just to name a few.”

Earlier this year, Red Shed picked up top honours at the Alberta Beer Awards, one for Builder of the Year (tie with Rahr Malting), as well as for Trendy Beer of the Year, a collaboration they did on a hoppy Kveik ale with several central-Alberta based breweries.

For more farm and agriculture-related news coverage, visit www.farmnewsnow.com.